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Dorset Museums: Weymouth and Portland

Nothe Fort

Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset (Tel: 01305 766626)

This is a museum of coastal defence with 70 rooms of exhibits, models and artefacts. There are fantastic views of Weymouth and Portland from the ramparts of this Victorian fort. Open daily from May to September plus school holidays. Admission charges apply.

Portland Museum

217 Wakeham, Portland, Dorset (Tel: 01305 821804)

Portland's museum is located in thatched, 17th century cottages above Church Ope Cove, which was the setting for Thomas Hardy's novel 'The Well Beloved'. Exhibitions cover shipwrecks, smuggling, fossils, the Royal Manor of Portland and Dr Marie Stopes - founder of the museum and the pioneer of birth control. The museum is open on Friday to Tuesday from Easter until September plus daily during the school holidays. There is an admission charge for adults but concessions apply and accompanied children and students may enter for free.

Tudor House

3 Trinity Street, Weymouth, Dorset (Tel: 01305 779711)

This is one of Weymouth's few remaining Tudor buildings and it is furnished in the style of an early 17th century middle class family home. Guided tours are available. The museum, which is run by Weymouth Civic Society, is open Tuesday to Friday afternoons between June and September and on the afternoon of the first Sunday of the month between October and May. Admission charges apply.

Water Supply Museum

Sutton Poyntz Pumping Station, Sutton Poyntz, Weymouth, Dorset (Tel: 01305 832634)

In 2006, Sutton Poyntz Pumping Station celebrated 150 years of supplying water to Weymouth. Occupation of the site can be traced back 10,000 years and the museum describes how water has influenced life since that time. The museum also contains one of Dorset's three Industrial Ancient Monuments. Admission is free but by appointment only.

Weymouth Museum

Brewers Quay, Hope Square, Weymouth, Dorset (Tel: 01305 777622)

The museum houses numerous collections of local and social history, costumes and prints and paintings, including the Bussell Collection. Regular exhibitions are held during the year as well as a programme of free talks. The museum is open daily, except for the last two weeks of January, and admission is free.